The story of Morning Dew, a rogue, now a warrior
by Mothwing Of Riverclan
Summary: A rogue living outside the Clans is living with her kin when greencough threatens to take their lives. Riverclan reluctantly takes them in, intending to keep them until they recover. Morning Dew, however, is determined to prove herself to the clan to become a true warrior. A Memorial to one of my cats, Ginger, who left to join the Clans. Waiting for reviews for chaps 3 and 4
1. Chapter 1

I am quite ashamed to say I was born a rogue. My ill status of birth would, frankly, disgust most of you Clan-born cats. It still, if not occasionally, does. Yet I had done nothing to deserve your treatment of injustice. This is the tale of how I came to be who I now am.

Born wretched and lame, I was most despised among my brother and sisters, for I was favored and delicately handled by my mother, a golden tabby with one blind eye. A piercing green. The moment I was born, she provided me my name, Dew. This related to my gray small, weak structure, so easily disrupted and crushed among so many things. My littermates ( Pine, Mint, and Root) my mother ( named Bloom) and I were constantly on the move, until I was around 4 moons old.

My sister, Root, was among my favorite cats. She was timid, compassionate, and understanding. Root would walk side by side with me, pacing herself even though my crippled hind leg dragged me down and sacrifice her portion of a meal to me. Pine and Mint, both with golden fur and blue irises, would trample me with their mischievous ways. On this particular day, Root and I were sharing a scrap of vole. Her pale gray tabby pelt was highlighted against the vast landscape of forest surrounding us. Lying side by side, we basked in the warmth of Greenleaf. Suddenly, we heard mother shriek in the distance.

Both of us sprinted toward her yowl. We fought through the thicket and crashed into the dense greenery. In a moment, the pain in the crippled leg I was born with vanished. I had to save Bloom. Our mother was clawing at a monstrous beast. His heavy brown body overpowered our mother's slight one. But she had her advantages of agility. Pine and Mint were crouching under a bush, wide eyed with terror. Cowards. Hissing and spitting, she rushed into battle. Root leapt onto the ambusher's back and sank her claws into his throat. As small as she was, she had no strength whatsoever and was outmatched. The creature pinned with his paws. The breath whooshed out of my sister's lungs and she struggled to escape. But the creature had no mercy. I watched all this procession slowly. Silently, I prayed for our mother to come to Root's defense. She never did.


	2. Chapter 2

I watched in agony as my sister endured her fate. She began to choke, gasping for air. She and I, for that matter, were helpless. The creature swung her by her scruff in his foaming, salivating jaws. Without warning, a screech split through the forest like a fang. A blur of tortoiseshell fur hurled through the trees, landing on the unsuspecting beast's neck. The stupid thing whirled around, attempting to snap at the mysterious guest, temporarily forgetting that Root was clamped firmly around his jaws. Root tumbled to the ground, winded.

The fierce, fighting clump of fur nipped at the creature's soft belly and clung onto his throat and muzzle. It, like the creature, was unforgiving and with a final slash, sent the beast scrambling away over its clumsy paws. While it fled, the hero ( which I then recognized as a cat) turned to us, and with a faint nod, flew back into the underbrush. This was not to any of my concern. Root had already tended to my mother, even in her daze. Bloom was in critical condition, with blood gushing out of an open wound. The claw marks extended from her mid belly, over her chest, up her throat, until it reached her chin. She exhaled shakily, then croaked out " Pine, Mint…" They immediately rushed to her side. "I have been meaning to give you your full name. Pine, from this moment on, you shall be known as Pine Leaf. Mint, you as Mint Flower. Root, thanks to your courage and strength, you are to be called Lily Root. And Dew, my kit, you shall be Morning Dew." At this, she began to slip away. It was over. Mother was dead.

Leaf-bare was especially harsh to us. The grief of our mother's death burdened our hearts with every pawstep. A single moon has passed since her murder, and we lived only on our mourning, misery, and a bit of squirrel now and then. Pine Leaf, Mint Flower, Lily Root, and I sheltered between a clump of trees and a gurgling stream. We left only to make dirt and to hunt. Once the second moon has come and gone, we were skinny to the bone, our eyes dull and expressionless. Not to mention the life threatening case of greencough. Without knowing it, we cats were slowly sinking to the pit of death.

We lived like rats after that. Until one fateful day, a cat reeking of fish entered our property. None of us cared. I glanced halfheartedly up, and felt a small spark of recognition. Hmmm… That tortoiseshell fur, those amber eyes… Where have I seen that before? Then, it all clicked into place. Our life saver.


End file.
